Posts Tagged ‘Recycling’

Reports on the state of the environment are all around us, becoming one of the main concerns of the public. And within this there is no denying that CD and DVD duplication and replication, like every business, has its role in being able to make the environment better or worse. However there are things that can be done to help – and you yourself can do your part!

But first, consider this: For each CD made, one kilogram of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. Now, that may not sound like much but when you throw into the equation that In the year 2000, 2.455 billion CDs were sold worldwide it makes 2,455,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide in one year, plus the 3 and a half metric tonnes of toxic waste that comes with it! And that, scarily enough, is for just the mass CD duplication of the music industry alone. That doesn’t count computer games, promotional DVDs, DVD films, any software sales or the blank CDs just sold in shops!

And what happens to all of these CDs once nobody wants them anymore? That’s right, they end up in landfill. Because of the complex nature of their make up (CD’s contain many layers of mined minerals such as aluminium, gold, silver and nickel mixed in layers with non-biodegradable petroleum-derived plastics and lacquers) they cannot be recycled in the tradition sense, either. In fact, if they are accidentally put in plastic recycling, they have been known to ruin the recycling equipment itself! This is because the plastic used for CDs, polycarbonate plastic (derived from BPA) is almost impossible to recycle and has been linked to human and animal health problems and polluted groundwater.

But there is an alternative to this notorious plastic: Polylactic acid (PLA) is an entirely biodegradable plastic substitute derived from corn – not only biodegradable but sustainable, too! Here, then, the environmental impact of mass CD duplication could be lessened greatly.

In a similar vein, jewel CD cases are also clogging up landfill sites. These, too, could be replaced in the mass CD duplication industry with the PLA cases or could be made out of paper out of recycled paper, a practice some individual CD producers have started to do follow. This last idea has its problems, however, as the paper and cardboard cases are simply not as durable as the plastic ones and this, more than anything else, has been keeping them off the market.

But enough about what big business could be doing: What can you do? Well, you could send your old CDs off to a handful of private companies who have come up with some innovative ways to recycle them. They can, for a small processing fee, be transformed into all manner of things, ranging from street lamps and car parts to, rather ironically, new jewel cases for the CDs themselves! A good UK disc recycling company is Polymer Recycling Ltd. You can also choose an environmentally responsible company for your CD and DVD duplication and replication needs, for instance Duplication Centre UK or Replication Centre UK who do all they can for the environment, for instance by recycling their packaging materials they reduce the amount of their waste that goes into landfill!

How are you helping or hurting the environment with your duplication or replication of CDs?

Working with CDs and DVDs has an impact on the environment and it is important to understand how you are impacting the world around you. Not only that, but you must realise the various ways you can counteract the damage that you put on the environment due to your use of CDs or DVDs.

How are you impacting the environment?

Whenever you create a CD you build one kilogram of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.

Unfortunately most people don’t think that this will affect much. However, since the world’s population is so large, 2,455,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide are created every year from the combination of people’s CD creation.

This statistic is just from the music industry alone. With the addition of promotional CDs, DVD movies, computer games and everything else that is used on CDs the numbers most likely double.

The aftermath

What happens to a CD after you dispose of it?

They typically end up in a landfill. Due to their makeup, they cannot be recycled. In fact, if they are accidentally recycled they can damage the equipment that is used to recycle materials.

An alternative

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a great alternative to the plastic used in CDs. It is biodegradable and can reduce the effect of typical plastics used in CDs.

The material used in CD cases is also a great burden on the environment. In order to counteract the effects of CD cases, you can use PLA cases. You can also use cases that are made out of paper that many music producers have used to create CDs. The only problem with using paper cases is that they are not as durable as the usual plastic cases.

What can you do?

Every small act helps. If you would like to prevent the problems of CD pollution you can send your CDs to private companies who recycle them. A great CD recycling company in the UK is Polymer Recycling Ltd.

You can also choose to work with environmentally friendly companies when choosing your CD duplication and replication options. There are many options out there, but don’t forget that Duplication Centre recycles its packaging materials, so it is an environmentally responsible choice for CDs.